Saudi Arabia has suspended travel to and from India, Brazil and Argentina due to the growing number of positive COVID-19 cases, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GACA), the country’s civil aviation regulator, said on Wednesday in a note to the airlines.
According to the GACA note, no person who has been to India, Brazil and Argentina in the last 14 days before their arrival in Saudi Arabia will be allowed entry, except for people with government invitations to travel to these countries .
The memo, however, does not set a time frame for the suspension.
Mint has reviewed a copy of the note.
Airline received directive from GACA
A senior airline official said his airline received the GACA directive on September 22 evening.
“Under the directive, Indian airlines will now not be able to operate any flights to Saudi Arabia and no flights from the Gulf nation will be able to fly to India from September 24,” said the airline official who requested anonymity.
“It is clear that the growing number of covid-19 cases in India has prompted Saudi Arabia to take this drastic step and this could lead to other countries issuing suspension orders. However, we hope that the Indian government will step in and speak with the Saudi government to revoke the suspension order, “he added.
As it stands, most of the Indian airlines including Air India, SpiceJet and IndiGo have operated charter flights and repatriation flights from Saudi Arabia to India in recent months. Currently, India and Saudi Arabia do not have bilateral travel under an air bubble deal.
Air bubble or travel corridor arrangements are temporary arrangements between two countries for the purpose of conducting commercial passenger services at a time when regular international flight services are suspended.
International flights to and from India remain suspended until at least September 30. However, charter flights, repatriation flights and flights under air bubble arrangements are currently allowed.
When contacted, spokesmen for Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet were not immediately available for comment.
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